B-
Dallas Cowboys
Good, not great, for the Cowboys: B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Cowboys spent the 218th overall pick on Eric O'Neill, a name most had 50 spots down the list. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
For all the activity, cornerback went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Curry pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at cornerback, quarterback and other spots. On value alone, Love makes the weekend a net positive.
Good work on the whole, with cornerback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 12 they get a featured back, and a steal at that.
In slot 20 they get a problem off the edge, even if it was a touch early. More want than need.
The needs board was loud and they turned it down, spending Round 3, Pick 28 on Caden Curry with cornerback, quarterback and other spots unsolved.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jalen Farmer in No. 112. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for George Gumbs Jr.. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Nothing to complain about; Cyrus Allen went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid sticker price for Kaleb Elarms-Orr in No. 180, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They reached into another round for Eric O'Neill, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.